Old A303 Ilchester - Official Diversion Route via Yeovil Largely Ignored

The study of British and Irish roads - their construction, numbering, history, mapping, past and future official roads proposals and general roads musings.

There is a separate forum for Street Furniture (traffic lights, street lights, road signs etc).

Registered users get access to other forums including discussions about other forms of transport, driving, fantasy roads and wishlists, and roads quizzes.

Moderator: Site Management Team

Post Reply
SteveA30
Member
Posts: 6017
Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 12:52
Location: Dorset

Old A303 Ilchester - Official Diversion Route via Yeovil Largely Ignored

Post by SteveA30 »

The accident now at A303 e/bnd between A37 and Podimore rbt has resulted in an official diversion as pasted below...

Diversion Route
Traffic is being diverted via the solid square diversion symbol.
Leave the A303 eastbound at the A37 junction (Ilchester)
Join the A37 southbound and continue until the Yeovil College Roundabout with the A359
Take the first exit and join the A359 (Mudford Road) northbound
Continue northbound on the A359, passing through Mudford, Marston Magna and Queen Camel
Re-join the A303 eastbound at A359 Sparkford roundabout

Instead of taking the old A303 via Ilchester and past Yeovilton. Even then, they send traffic into Yeovil and back up the A359, instead of the (modern) yellow road that connects the two, without entering Yeovil. Marston Magna and Queen camel are hardly suitable for HGV's either with very tight bends and a speed chicane. Ilchester has no narrow sections or tight bends. Utter b******s, all, down to letting algorithms run the show programmed to only handle A roads. Why don't people intervene and use some sense?

The old A303 is as you would expect an old trunk road to be, wide and clear, and parallel, roughly to the D2.
Maps are showing more traffic via Yeovilton then A359 so perhaps Satnav is being sensible. As the closure is shown until 18.00, I think I have to scramble.......
Last edited by SteveA30 on Thu Sep 09, 2021 22:17, edited 1 time in total.
Roads and holidays in the west, before motorways.
http://trektothewest.shutterfly.com
http://holidayroads.webs.com/
WHBM
Member
Posts: 9707
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 18:01
Location: London

Re: Long Diversion Route

Post by WHBM »

The old road past Yeovilton has an appalling flat junction right turn onto the NSL A303, which is surely an accident hazard for heavy traffic.
User avatar
Chris5156
Deputy Treasurer
Posts: 16908
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2001 21:50
Location: Hampshire
Contact:

Re: Long Diversion Route

Post by Chris5156 »

SteveA30 wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 11:46Utter b******s, all, down to letting algorithms run the show programmed to only handle A roads. Why don't people intervene and use some sense?
A diversion route indicated on the ground with a square symbol attached to permanent signage is not something an algorithm has produced. Diversion routes are produced by trunk road agency highway engineers in consultation with local authorities and the police. For whatever reason that is the route that was agreed, probably years ago, for a closure between those points on the A303. There will have been reasons for the choice, not all of which will be obvious, and it will have been a requirement that every type of vehicle that can use the A303 could also use the diversion route.
User avatar
Bfivethousand
Member
Posts: 1387
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2005 22:16
Location: Derbyshire

Re: Long Diversion Route

Post by Bfivethousand »

Part of that stretch of the A359 is a 7.5t environmental weight limit.

I suppose there may be a clause in the relevant TRO to allow diversionary movements as directed by the police or HE / HA / NH / DfT / whoever... but I wouldn't be too confident of that.
16 Sodium atoms walk into a bar
followed immediately by Batman
User avatar
Chris5156
Deputy Treasurer
Posts: 16908
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2001 21:50
Location: Hampshire
Contact:

Re: Long Diversion Route

Post by Chris5156 »

Bfivethousand wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 13:45I suppose there may be a clause in the relevant TRO to allow diversionary movements as directed by the police or HE / HA / NH / DfT / whoever... but I wouldn't be too confident of that.
I think it's probably acceptable for a police officer to direct traffic along a road in contravention of a TRO, but it would be considered completely unacceptable to make a published and signposted diversion plan that would expect traffic to contravene a TRO.
User avatar
Conekicker
Member
Posts: 3754
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 22:32
Location: South Yorks

Re: Long Diversion Route

Post by Conekicker »

Chris5156 wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 15:49
Bfivethousand wrote: Thu Sep 09, 2021 13:45I suppose there may be a clause in the relevant TRO to allow diversionary movements as directed by the police or HE / HA / NH / DfT / whoever... but I wouldn't be too confident of that.
I think it's probably acceptable for a police officer to direct traffic along a road in contravention of a TRO, but it would be considered completely unacceptable to make a published and signposted diversion plan that would expect traffic to contravene a TRO.
Depends what the alternative might be. Sometimes it's a case of "needs must...".
Patience is not a virtue - it's a concept invented by the dozy beggars who are unable to think quickly enough.
SteveA30
Member
Posts: 6017
Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 12:52
Location: Dorset

Re: Old A303 Ilchester - Official Diversion Route via Yeovil Largely Ignored

Post by SteveA30 »

Sat navs and knowledge prevail over bureaucracy, as most opt for the old A303 through Ilchester. They then split 50/50 between the B3151 and the...B3151, as the number applies to both the old A303 and the original B3151 to Somerton. A359 had a queue at Queen Camel but, mostly cars.
Attachments
Il a.jpg
Old A303 Fosse Way at Ilchester
Old A303 Fosse Way at Ilchester
It must be a long time since Thompsons of Devon had been this way
It must be a long time since Thompsons of Devon had been this way
Roads and holidays in the west, before motorways.
http://trektothewest.shutterfly.com
http://holidayroads.webs.com/
SteveA30
Member
Posts: 6017
Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 12:52
Location: Dorset

Re: Old A303 Ilchester - Official Diversion Route via Yeovil Largely Ignored

Post by SteveA30 »

From Roman times to the mid 1970's, Ilchester was an important meeting point for 2 main routes.
The old fingerpost is still painted for A37 to Yeovil, which is only a 1/4 of a mile away (the road)
Attachments
Roman town - old A37
Roman town - old A37
Old A37 sign of the past
Old A37 sign of the past
Churchyard tranquility......I Said church.....!
Churchyard tranquility......I Said church.....!
Last edited by SteveA30 on Fri Sep 10, 2021 07:06, edited 1 time in total.
Roads and holidays in the west, before motorways.
http://trektothewest.shutterfly.com
http://holidayroads.webs.com/
SteveA30
Member
Posts: 6017
Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 12:52
Location: Dorset

Re: Old A303 Ilchester - Official Diversion Route via Yeovil Largely Ignored

Post by SteveA30 »

Parts of the old A303 are permanently peaceful now, no diversions can ever go this way.
Attachments
Dead end A303
Dead end A303
Turning around, we see a 60's minor improvement
Turning around, we see a 60's minor improvement
Quiet Fosse Way looking east
Quiet Fosse Way looking east
Roads and holidays in the west, before motorways.
http://trektothewest.shutterfly.com
http://holidayroads.webs.com/
SteveA30
Member
Posts: 6017
Joined: Fri May 06, 2005 12:52
Location: Dorset

Re: Old A303 Ilchester - Official Diversion Route via Yeovil Largely Ignored

Post by SteveA30 »

84 pics taken, 2 ruthlessly deleted. Diversion over 5.45pm. The junction with the A303 at West Camel was tricky and caused a longish queue but, no problems fortunately. The 3 way split of routes taken helped the junction cope although ironically, those that had gone via B3151 and A372 to Podimore were now preventing easy access from the Yeovilton route, along with the usual westbound traffic pouring past.
Attachments
In Ilchester, formerly signal controlled
In Ilchester, formerly signal controlled
East of Ilchester, a 1960's improvement. A303 to the right.
East of Ilchester, a 1960's improvement. A303 to the right.
RNAS Yeovilton
RNAS Yeovilton
Roads and holidays in the west, before motorways.
http://trektothewest.shutterfly.com
http://holidayroads.webs.com/
Post Reply